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A United Airlines Boeing 767 was involved in a highly unusual incident this afternoon when it struck a delivery truck and a light pole during its final approach into Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
The aircraft, operating flight UA 169 from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), had just completed an approximately 8.5-hour transatlantic journey and was lined up to land. During the final moments of approach, the plane descended unusually low (so low that its landing gear appears to have clipped a bakery delivery truck traveling along the nearby New Jersey Turnpike).
The impact overturned the truck and sent the driver to the hospital. The extent of the driver’s injuries has not been publicly detailed. After striking the vehicle, the aircraft continued forward and reportedly hit a light pole before proceeding to land safely on the runway.
Despite the dramatic sequence of events, all 221 passengers and 10 crew members onboard the aircraft were unharmed. The plane taxied to the gate normally following the landing. United confirmed that the aircraft sustained damage and has since been taken out of service for inspection.
Dashcam footage from the delivery truck and videos from nearby motorists quickly circulated online. They show the plane flying extremely low over the highway before the collision. Eyewitnesses can be heard reacting in disbelief as the aircraft passed just above traffic.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into the incident while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has ordered the airline to preserve the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. Investigators are expected to examine why the aircraft descended below a safe approach path and whether mechanical, environmental, or human factors played a role.
Anthony’s Take: While the aircraft landed safely and no passengers were injured, the incident raises serious questions about approach procedures and what happened near this busy roadway. Hopefully, the driver of the truck is okay.
(Featured Image Credit: @aviationbrk via X.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
